Nursing Home Worker Accused of Murdering Resident with Morphine
A North Carolina nursing home worker has been arrested for murder after allegedly giving an Alzheimer's patient a lethal dose of morphine. Angela Almore also faces felony abuse charges for overmedicating at least six other residents with morphine. It is believed that Almore overmedicated the residents in order to keep them docile and manageable.
This case highlights the potentially lethal consequences of overmedication and the use of chemical restraints, which are among the most pervasive types of abuse in nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
Chemical restraints are drugs intended to control a person's behavior. They are used by nursing home staff members to restrain residents who present a danger to themselves or others. The use of chemical restraints must be medically necessary and ordered by a physician. When used only for staff convenience, and not to treat an underlying medical condition, using drugs as a chemical restraint is against the law.
The side effects of improper use of chemical restraints are serious. More than limiting a resident's ability to function, the long-term use of chemical restraints can lead to diabetes, thyroid dysfunction, and central nervous system disorders, as well as liver, kidney, pancreas, and other organ damage. Also, as in the case, the overuse of chemical restraints can even lead to death.
For more information on overmedication and the use of chemical restraints, visit the Nursing Home Advocates' Overmedication/Chemical Restraints Information page.
